by: Catherine Hours 4 July 2007
From New York to the Antarctic, from Shanghai to Rio de Janeiro, the world is getting ready to rock Saturday as organizers of the Live Earth events seek to raise awareness of global warming.
Some 7,000 events in 129 countries including eight giant concerts are being promoted by former US vice president Al Gore as part of his passionate bid to focus attention on the dangers of climate change.
The 24-hour event on July 7 includes music, theater and other shows and will be broadcast live worldwide to get the message across to two billion people about the need for drastic measures to protect the environment, say promoters.
A wave of music is set to ripple round the globe starting in Sydney then fanning out to Tokyo, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Hamburg, London, New York, and Rio.
Some 150 stars including Police, Genesis, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Ai Otsuka, Eason Chan, Mana, Joey Yung, Shakira, Linkin Park, Rip Slyme and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be taking part.
Smaller concerts will take place in other cities, most notably Kyoto, where countries came together to establish the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate warming.
Another show will be held at a British base in the Antarctic, where some of the effects of global warming are the most visible.
"This monster line-up will ensure Live Earth meets our goal of bringing together people from around the world to combat the climate crisis," says Live Earth founder Kevin Wall.
"Live Earth will be a monumental event both in terms of entertainment and in turning the tide against global warming."
Gore, whose film "An Inconvenient Truth" about climate change won this year's Oscar for best documentary, says one of the key aims is to urge a massive reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050.
"If we are going to solve the crisis, we have to commit, and we have to do it now," he said.
"Live Earth will ask people across the world to commit to changes in their lives and to move other people, communities, companies and governments to reduce our carbon output by 90 percent by 2050 and ensure there is a new, global treaty on climate change by 2009.
"The number of participating countries, has however, fallen short of what organizers had hoped for. No Muslim country is taking part; and Turkey has vetoed a concert in Istanbul for security reasons and a lack of interest.
Plans for a concert on the mall in front of the US Congress in Washington were also turned down by Republican lawmakers.
Wall compared it to organizing 10 soccer World Cups at the same time. The concerts will be carried on television stations and on the Internet, at liveearth.msn.com.
Spectators will be invited to sign a statement on Live Earth's Internet site or by text message.
The event's organizers are also calling on people to support energy conservation and alternative energy sources, to plant millions of trees and protect the world's forests, and to support groups dedicated to protecting the environment.
Gore said he will attend the concert in New York and will also appear at another surprise venue.
Each venue will feature top global performers: in London Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Eyed Peas will headline; in New York, Police and Smashing Pumpkins.
Tokyo will get Rihanna, Linkin Park and a bevy of Japanese stars like Ai Otsuka, while in Kyoto Ryuichi Sakamoto and Rip Slyme will top the bill.
In Rio Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams and Macy Gray will share the stage with Brazilian stars, while in South Africa UB40, Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone will take the stage. Shakira and Enrique Iglesias perform in Hamburg.
Gore said he had asked the artists to compose songs for the occasion, and praised Black Eyed Peas for promising one and coming up with it in seven days. He also cheered Madonna's offering: "Madonna's song is fantastic," he said.
Ticket sales for the events will benefit The Alliance for Climate Protection led by Gore.
liveearth.org
http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction
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